However, with these tips, you’ll be able to keep it fresh or transform it in no time at all. Hooray for zero-waste tricks!
1. How to wash
Wash romaine and other curly lettuce types before storing them in the fridge, but wait until the very last moment to wash more fragile varieties, such as Boston. Pre-washed lettuce can be practical, but it may have been contaminated with harmful microorganisms. A good rinse in running water is recommended right before use.
2. How to store
It’s ideal to store lettuce in a perforated plastic bag or an open container: by letting it breathe, you’re helping to keep it from deteriorating. Depending on the variety, lettuce can keep between 2 and 7 days.
3. Proximity
It’s important to keep lettuce away from fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene, such as bananas, apples and tomatoes. Lettuce is sensitive to this gas that can brown its leaves.
4. How to cook
Our vision of lettuce often ends with salad. Cooking it isn’t often a reflex; however, the potential is real. Our lettuce frittata, for example, is worthy of your attention. Lettuce needs to be cooked quickly in a bit of oil and drained in a sieve, much like spinach, to keep it from releasing too much water during cooking. Our Lettuce Pancakes and Tzatziki is also a great recipe to learn how to cook lettuce.
ZERO-WASTE RECIPES
Lettuce Pancakes and Tzatziki
You must fully drain the lettuce in a colander, as you would for spinach, to ensure that it doesn’t release too much water during cooking, and then cook it quickly in a little bit of oil. Try this barbecue grilled romaine lettuce salad: It’s an ideal introduction to cooking lettuce.
5. How to transform
Lettuce can be cooked but it can also be transformed into something new! It’s the perfect vehicle for this panna cotta that tastes absolutely surprising.